The MGS Forum
Gardening in mediterranean climates => Wildlife in the garden (birds, butterflies, and how to attract them) => Topic started by: John J on August 25, 2015, 10:33:46 AM
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We seem to be suffering from a plague of these characters this year. In all the years I've been associated with Cyprus I have never seen, or heard, so many of them, they are everywhere. Known locally as Zizzeri due to the sound they make they are deafening. Normally being heard but rarely seen this year we find them on the ground as we walk around, get hit by them as they zoom between the trees, and their empty pupal cases are legion.
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Here they're called tzitzikes, presumably for a similar reason. There seems to be the usual population here. The trizonia (the night shift) seem to be in short supply, though. A shame - I like the sound they make.
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Here at least cicada numbers go in cycles - low numbers of adult insects means that conditions were bad 6 or 7 years ago when the eggs were laid. So if you have lots making that deafening (but very summery) noise, I guess it was a good year - whatever that means in cicada terms - a while back.